The State of Cancer Care in the United Arab Emirates in 2020: Challenges and Recommendations, A report by the United Arab Emirates Oncology Task Force.

With cancer being the third leading cause of mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there has been significant investment from the government and private health care providers to enhance the quality of cancer care in the UAE. The UAE is a developing country with solid economic resources that can be utilized to improve cancer care across the country. There is limited data regarding the incidence, survival, and potential risk factors for cancer in the UAE. The UAE Oncology Task Force was established in 2019 by cancer care providers from across the UAE under the auspices of Emirates Oncology Society. In this paper we summarize the history of cancer care in the UAE, report the national cancer incidence, and outline current challenges and opportunities to enhance and standardize cancer care. We provide recommendations for policymakers and the UAE Oncology community for the delivery of high-quality cancer care. These recommendations are aligned with the UAE government's vision to reduce cancer mortality and provide high quality healthcare for its citizens.

Outcomes and Impact of a Universal COVID-19 Screening Protocol for Asymptomatic Oncology Patients.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has become a serious hazard worldwide in a relatively short time. Scientific evidence supports that cancer patients infected with COVID-19 had a higher risk of developing severe complications. COVID-19 patients can be asymptomatic during part or all of their disease course, therefore it is a compelling need to develop universal pre-interventional COVID-19 screening guidelines. The aim of this study is to is review COVID-19 positive rate among asymptomatic cancer patients since the implementation of universal policy at our institution, and assess the impact of diagnosing COVID-19 on delay of oncologic interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population comprised of all cancer patients planned for high risk interventions between April 1, 2020 - May 14, 2020 at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi [CCAD] after implementing universal COVID-19 screening policy. DISCUSSION: Nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 among cancer patients could result in poor outcomes. Universal screening for high-risk populations may facilitate earlier diagnosis of COVID-19 and implementation of control strategies. Our review demonstrated that [7.5%] of asymptomatic cancer patients tested positive for COVID-19 after implementation of universal prospective screening policy. The overall evidence supporting universal COVID-19 screening of cancer patients is limited, yet as tests become more widely available, it may be reasonable to screen all cancer patients for COVID-19 before anticancer therapies. While such policy may delay and affect the timing of anticancer therapy as shown in this report, it should improve the safety of care for oncology patients and help protect healthcare workers. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 infection rate is higher in cancer patients than general population and can present without symptoms. Universal COVID-19 screening of cancer patients before high risk interventions is supported by the present findings.